The Payoff Pitch: 'O', can you take them seriously?

With the Major League Baseball season coming to a close, fans are looking ahead to the playoffs and the World Series.

The New York Yankees are on top of the American League East Division — not a big surprise. That being said, what's the deal with the Baltimore Orioles? In recent seasons, Baltimore has been mathematically eliminated from the race at the All-Star break. The point is, the Orioles haven't been to the playoffs since 1997; this year could be the year to start a new tradition: being competitive.

Speaking of big comebacks, do you remember the Tampa Bay Devil Rays? They used to be the laughingstock of the A.L. East, with their ugly uniforms and the same attendance as the London Rippers. In 2007, they finished dead last in the American League with the worst record in baseball history: 66 — 96. They cleaned up their act the very next year with a name change, new uniforms and a few new prospects; they finished the 2008 season 97 — 65, winning the division along with the A.L. Championship, making it to the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Thinking back to Tampa Bay's coming-out party, is it that jawdropping to see the Baltimore Orioles challenging for a playoff spot?

A lot of critics and sports writers were expecting Baltimore's weak defence to ruin their year, but once the team passed the season's halfway point, they cut their rate of fielding errors in half. Sure, their fielding is the third worst in the MLB, but it isn't hurting them in the win-loss column.

Offensively, they aren't going to post powerhouse numbers, but what makes them so different from other teams is their clutch hitting — getting a hit when you need it is something that can't be taught.

Am I picking the Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series?

No, I have a tough time believing that the Orioles can get past the Texas Rangers. The last two years the Rangers finished as finalists, and last year they were one strike away from winning their first World Series Championship. In other words, don't mess with Texas. The Orioles are a few years away; once catcher Matt Wieters finally has that breakout season we've all been waiting for, we are going to see some fireworks in Baltimore.